Teetering 13
by Emlii
Summary: John is put through the ringer and Mycroft's given him a potential way out of his post-reichenbach depression but has John had enough?


John Watson, of 221b Baker Street, limped down the streets of London, a worn wooden cane in his hand. He looked around, at all the people, going about their everyday lives. Not one of them knew, yet, the latest from 221b. Sherlock Holmes, his partner and flatmate, was missing and had been for two weeks now. The police had been notified but the information would not be published, not until they knew for sure he wasn't just off on another one of his excursions.

Despite that, John still had a continuous crease in his brow and frowned every time he thought about Sherlock. John was, to say the least, worried. Sherlock never just went off without telling anyone, even if that someone was Mycroft or the street vendor on the corner of Hudson. However, this time no one came forward with any news and this troubled John. He went to work every day, though, and tried to keep things normal.

A week ago, on his usual walk home from the hospital he worked at, a familiar pain had shot up his leg. He winced and had gotten in a cab to take him back to Baker street. His old friend, the psychosomatic leg injury, had returned. He had sighed and asked Mrs. Hudson, the landlady, to grab the cane from the front closet. His hand slid familiarly into the grooves on the handle and since then the limp remained.

John finally arrived at the front step of 221b and propped his cane up against the door to push the key into the lock. He unlocked the door and walked inside. He hung up his coat and sat down on the couch, resting his leg for a bit. Pulling his phone out of his pants pocket, he slid his thumb over the dent were he had thrown it at Sherlock and hit a wooden post instead. He saw he had one new message from... Sherlock? A curious frown took over his face as he opened the text, which read:

"Honey, you should see me in a sheet. -SH"

John furrowed his brow, Sherlock had been gone for weeks and this was the first thing he said to John when he returned? John knew Sherlock didn't appreciate people freaking out about him being gone so he answered as he usually would.

"Been there... done that.. -JW"

He sat back and pulled a book from the table, he knew he couldn't focus on reading until Sherlock finally told him where he was but he wanted to at least try. The next text sent John's heart plummeting, it scared him so badly.

"You should see me in a crown. -JM"

JM? Jim Moriarty? John grimaced, what was Moriarty doing with Sherlock's phone? Was that where Sherlock was? Was Sherlock okay?

"Unfortunately been there and done that, as well. -JW"

He could see Moriarty smirking at his response. John, knowing Moriarty, expected this to turn out to be some sort of sick game. But he didn't fear Moriarty, he was being kept in an insane asylum... was he intercepting the network on the mobiles?

"I know you think I'm sexy, don't deny it. -JM"

John nearly choked. Was Moriarty really this messed up? Well... of course he was but John had expected he would at least be on some type of medication. Maybe Sherlock was visiting him? John didn't know and couldn't figure it out.

"Play along, little Doctor, it's in your best interest. -JM"

With a sigh, John agreed to play Moriarty's stupid little game. Somehow he knew that if he did he'd find Sherlock sooner, easier, and safer.

"Oh God. Never, literally never in a thousand lifetimes -JW"

"You're a psychopath. -JW"

He knew that wasn't what Moriarty was looking for but John was going to force him to compromise. Apparently, Moriarty wasn't a fan of that idea.

"Little Hamish... I should set fire to your jumper. -JM"

_Which one?_ John thought with a smirk. Despite being harassed regularly about it, John quite enjoyed wearing his jumpers and was quite fond of them but losing one to the psychopath may not be the worst thing in the world.

"Leave my fashion sense alone.. -JW"

"What sense? -JM"

"I don't know how someone as fashionable as Sherlock Holmes can be seen with you. -JM"

"This is ridiculous... you sound like a teenage girl. -JW"

John scowled at the phone. Was Moriarty seriously criticizing him? He didn't make Sherlock look bad... did he? No! This was just part of Moriarty's game. He had to keep reminding himself of that, Moriarty probably wanted him to lose it and freak out.

"Oh wait, haha! He can't! -JM"

That was a bit over-the-top for John's liking.

"What is that supposed to mean? -JW"

John feared the answer, he had _thought_ that Moriarty was locked away but what if he wasn't? What if Sherlock really was in trouble. Suddenly, John didn't care about _his _best interest, only Sherlock's.

"He's never coming back, John. -JM"

John was now angry. If Moriarty had even so much as kidnapped Sherlock John swore he would find him, Moriarty wouldn't get away with this. The text, however, hurt him and John refused to believe it.

"Of course he is... -JW"

It was weak, and John knew it. But he didn't have a retort at this point. He just wanted to know Sherlock was okay.

"He's never coming back to you. -JM"

"He'll get bored, turn to drugs. Daddy'll fix them up nice for him. -JM"

John honestly wanted to just punch something... Moriarty, preferably. Moriarty was officially stepping over the line of playing a game and threatening John and Sherlock. Anger swept through John and all he wanted at that one moment was for Moriarty to be ruined. He wanted just one thing to go horribly wrong for Moriarty and he wanted him done, absolutely crushed.

"Stop it. You don't know. You don't know anything. He'll be back. Oh he'll be back better than ever. And when he comes back, you better watch your

insane back. He'll never go back to those drugs. No, he promised me. -JW"

"You can't trust an addict. -JM"

"We'll have fun, he and I. -JM"

John felt a hot tear well up in his eye. He blinked it away quickly and sniffed. He shook his head and knew that Moriarty was trying to get him to do this. He wanted him to suffer. John only wanted Sherlock back.

"I can trust Sherlock. -JW"

He sent it with confidence and finality. He did trust Sherlock, he did. He just wasn't sure how he could know Sherlock wouldn't go back to the drugs. John wouldn't cave to Moriarty but what Moriarty was saying was starting to penetrate into John's mind.

"He wouldn't do that to me. Don't you dare lay a finger on him! -JW"

John felt braver, saying that. He knew it wouldn't sound threatening to Moriarty at all but he had to say it, for him.

"I'll lay more than a finger. -JM"

Crushed, John was sure that's what this feeling was. His heart felt suffocated and trapped. Moriarty couldn't hurt Sherlock. John wouldn't know what to do, how to live. He started feeling more tears well up and his hands shook as he sent the next message.

"Please... don't... I'll.. I'll do anything. -JW"

John was desperate, yes, and he didn't care if Moriarty knew or Sherlock... or anyone, really. He would do whatever it took to make sure everyone he loved was safe.

"You two can have matching limps, like the little old couple you want to be. -JM"

"Anything? -JM"

The tears fell freely. The thought of seeing Sherlock crippled, like him, was terrifying. He hoped Moriarty hadn't done anything yet.

"No, please... don't hurt him. -JW"

"Anything. -JW"

"Let me kill that sweet little lady you've been fixing to marry... -JM"

John's heart stopped. He had to choose? He shook his head slowly, knowing Moriarty couldn't see him, the movement still made him feel good, defiant. Nothing would happen to Sherlock or Mary.

"I bet she sounds so sweet when she screams for her life. -JM"

No longer could John stand the psychotic thinking of Moriarty. It had to stop. The tears were coming without any resistance from John. He brushed one off the screen of his phone. The thought sickened him and he was torn between absolute rage and desperation.

"Stop, no please. No. Don't. -JW"

"Anything that doesn't hurt my friends. Anything that doesn't hurt my family. -JW"

"And anything that doesn't hurt the people I love. -JW"

John feared Moriarty wouldn't go for the change in conditions, he _had _promised anything but he knew that he couldn't live with himself if anyone got hurt. Sherlock would find a way out of this so no one got hurt.

"Pick one, John. You can't have both. -JM"

Suddenly, John realized how unfair this was to Mary, most of all.

"Mary hasn't done anything! She knows nothing about all of this! -JW"

He hadn't ever told Mary about Moriarty, about fighting bad guys. Only that Sherlock was a detective of sorts and he was a doctor. She didn't understand the deeper things running underneath their normal lives.

"You haven't told her all about your boyfriend? -JM"

An exasperated sigh found it's way out of John's mouth. The tears had slowed and now Moriarty had gone back to the old teasing of him and Sherlock. John didn't really feel like playing _that_ game so he replied simply, like he always did.

"He isn't... he's not my boyfriend. You know that. -JW"

Moriarty didn't seem to acknowledge that John had said anything and just continued with the threats instead.

"Oh, this will be fun. You can't just be allowed to have them both, John.

That's too boring. -JM"

John wanted to yell at Moriarty, to scream to him, that's why he was with Mary! So things would be more... normal and "boring" for Moriarty's standards.

"God... no.. please don't let this be happening.

Let this all be a dream Something. I'm not

losing either of them. -JW"

He had reached his last straw. Begging for delusion.. how pathetic. Sherlock would be upset. By some remarkable stroke of insanity, John didn't have to wait long to see Sherlock's reaction.

"John, I apologize. I had to check your resolve. -SH"

John literally dropped his phone as his mouth fell open in shock. Was this really Sherlock? God dammit... what the hell did he think he was doing? Was he really... jesus. He scrambled to grab his phone off the floor to answer Sherlock.

"Sherlock. Damn you. Absolutely damn you to hell. -JW"

Even though he knew it was an impossible task to try and stay angry at Sherlock, hide his relief, John couldn't believe Sherlock would do this.

"The good news is you've passed. -SH"

John shook his head, sadly. Sherlock was crazy but that's what John liked so much about him, his ability to make something even so insane as this seem innocent and a good thing.

"God I'm glad you're okay. -JW"

"Margaret is dull, like the others. I still don't know what attracts you to them. -SH"

John recognized there was something off about that sentence but couldn't place it. First of all, why did Sherlock really care who he was and wasn't attracted to? It never seemed to directly affect Sherlock anyway.

"Nothing can be exciting compared to you. -JW"

"But she makes me feel... more normal. -JW"

He knew that was right. But was that all that attracted him to her? John shook his head there were... other things. There were! They just weren't coming to his head now. She was... she was pretty, very pretty.

"And yet you didn't correct me when I used the wrong name. Hm. -SH"

John scrolled back through the last 3 texts. Damnit... Sherlock was right. Had he really missed that he called her Margaret? Sod it. John didn't care. He realized things probably wouldn't work out between him and Mary now.. what was so wrong with him that he hadn't recognized Sherlock using the wrong name?

"Normal is boring, John. Don't become boring. -SH"

John sighed, was he really taking relationship advice from Sherlock Holmes?

"Oh God... this... this is bad. -JW"

"No one can compare to you Sherlock.

How am I supposed to be not boring and still happy?

I can't find anyone as exciting and so... you-like that you'll approve. -JW"

"What do you want me to do? -JW"

He didn't know why he did it. But John finally accepted that, yes, he was a 15 year old girl going to her best guy friend for relationship advice. Except... the person she was trying to find was exactly like her best friend. She just didn't know if she could ever have that and didn't know what to do.

"Wait. -SH"

"It's just a matter of time, John. -SH"

John couldn't believe it, he had actually expected a crude remark about John's singleness never being fixed. But... did Sherlock have hope for him?

"Oh... this'll be good to explain to MARY -JW"

Exactly, he could imagine it now. _'So... um Mary? Yeah... Sherlock has convinced me you're too normal and you're making me boring so he'd rather I find someone exactly like him to make things less boring. Sorry, see you in the market!' _Yep... that'd go well.

"Millicent. Whatever. She's unimportant. -SH"

John chose not to argue with Sherlock on this anymore.

"And... I'm running out of time, Sherlock. I'm getting older, faster than I realize. I must be doomed to 221b. When you find your certain someone, you'll finally understand what it's like to have annoying old John around. -JW"

"I honestly don't know what to do. -JW"

There. John had said it. He was afraid that when Sherlock finally found someone and settled down with them that Sherlock would be uninterested in keeping acquaintance with John and he would set John off on his own, out of 221b and completely lonely.

"Leave the door unlocked when you leave for work tomorrow. -SH"

John was honestly confused. What did that have to do with the conversation they'd been having? Absolutely nothing... that's what. So why did Sherlock say that...?

"What? Alright...-JW"

"Permission to know why? -JW"

"I need an old book. -SH"

Why couldn't he just come get it whenever? John wondered if Sherlock _could_ just come get the book whenever. He wasn't sure he wanted to just leave the flat open and unlocked for whatever amount of time Sherlock needed to get the book and leave. He worried whether or not Sherlock had a key and would lock the door behind him. But most of all, he wondered if this meant Sherlock wouldn't be coming back to him.

"And you can't stop by when I'm here...? -JW"

"It's not safe. -SH"

John almost laughed, safe wasn't a word that he ever associated with Sherlock Holmes. Safe would be boring for Sherlock. He had lots of trouble believing Sherlock was really worried about safety.

"Damn safe. When has anything ever been safe with you? -JW"

"You did come when I said danger. -SH"

Damn right, I did. John thought, if Sherlock was in trouble John would be there, no matter what.

"Sherlock... you're attracted to danger, I'm... "attracted" to you. -JW

Don't let that inflate your ego, now -JW"

John winced slightly, Sherlock didn't need any reminder of just how incredible he really was or how well liked he was. John had intended for it to sound as if he was interested in the work Sherlock did. He wasn't sure, however, if that's all it really was.

"John, I'm flattered, but we've already had this discussion. -SH"

John cocked his head, what was Sherlock talking about? What discussion? They had never talked about John being totally devoted to what Sherlock did...

"You don't have to put attracted in quotes, I see how you look at me. -SH

I'm not far. Wait for me. I'll keep you on your toes again. -SH

See you later. -SH"

Laughing, John slowly shook his head. Sherlock always seemed to know what he was thinking before he did. He sat down to think, maybe Sherlock was right. Who knew? Only time could tell.


End file.
